


Fluidity

by g0blin_b0i



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Misgendering, Nonbinary Character, Original Character(s), Other, Suicidal Thoughts, deadnaming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:13:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28495149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/g0blin_b0i/pseuds/g0blin_b0i
Summary: Being a farmer was never exactly Ash's dream, but after an impulsive decision and the discovery of the deed to their grandfather's old farm, it became their reality.Faced with the faint memories their neighbors have of Ash from childhood, they struggle to find confirmation of their gender identity in the small town. They manage to find a connection with another fellow newcomer in town.
Relationships: Shane & Player (Stardew Valley), Shane (Stardew Valley)/Original Character(s), Shane/Nonbinary Character
Kudos: 5





	1. Welcome Wagon

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Some misgendering and use of deadname in this chapter.

After making the impulsive decision to quit their soul crushing job at Joja Corporation, Ash packed up what belongings they could into a rented moving truck and began the drive out of Zuzu City. Ash watched in the rear view mirror, smiling as the city skyline faded behind a sea of pines. They savored the winding, country roads, a morning fog still lingering as they made their way further from Zuzu. 

Ash's memories of their grandfather’s old farm, and Pelican Town itself, had faded in the years since their last visit. Pulling up to the farmhouse, Ash was startled to see an older man waving from the porch. 

“Ashley!" he exclaimed as they stepped out of the truck "why, I haven't seen you since you were just a little girl!" Ash winced at the use of the name. It seemed the fresh start they’d been hoping for would still have some ghosts of the past. 

“Mayor Lewis, yeah, hi, it’s uh… been a while” they replied. As they tried to think of what to say next, the front door of the farmhouse swung open and a red-headed woman suddenly appeared from inside.

“Ah, perfect timing!” Lewis exclaimed, "I'd like you to meet Robin. She's our local carpenter, so if you're ever looking to update the house or fix up any of the old farm buildings, Robin should be able to help." 

“Nice to meet you, Ashley.” Robin beamed

"You too. And… you can actually just call me Ash” they replied, glancing between Robin and Lewis, deciding to start slow. They weren’t exactly in the mood to give a TED talk on gender identity, and they could deal with the pronouns later. 

“Well, nice to meet you, Ash.” Robin corrected, turning back to the house. "Sorry if I startled you. When Lewis heard you’d be moving in here, he asked me to take a quick look just to make sure it was… well.. Livable.” she explained. “It’s been empty for a while, but surprisingly everything still seems like it’s in pretty good condition. A bit dusty, but could definitely be a lot worse.” 

It was at that moment that the reality of the situation struck Ash. The fact that they’d decided, practically on an impulse, to pack up their entire life (or what of it fit in a U-Haul), and move to a farm practically in the middle of no-where. This wasn’t Ash’s first time making rash, regrettable decisions of course, but those tended to be the typical things you’d expect someone to do when having a crisis; dyeing their hair, getting a tattoo or a piercing. But this? This was much bigger than getting a needle jammed through their septum. 

You can barely keep a houseplant alive, how the hell are you going to be a farmer?! Their mind began racing.

“Oh, wow...Thanks. You really didn’t have to do that,” Ash finally managed, offering a sheepish smile. 

“It’s no trouble,” Robin assured. “Anyway, I’m sure you’re eager to get settled in after your drive. I live just north of town, and I've got a catalog of buildings and upgrades I'd be able to do for you. You should stop by and meet my family too, I've got a son about your age, and my daughter is just a bit younger." 

"Excellent idea, Robin," Lewis agreed, turning back to Ash. "You should probably introduce yourself to all the residents here. We're a small town, and I've heard many are already excited to meet you." The trio exchanged goodbyes before Lewis and Robin left Ash to get situated. 

Taking a deep breath, Ash took a step inside. It was pretty dirty as Robin had said, but overall in pretty good shape. Some of grandpa’s old furniture still remained, something they were relieved to see. A small kitchen table, and a set of wooden chairs we pushed to the side of the quaint looking kitchen, an addition grandpa had thankfully gotten done just before he passed. 

Ash pulled out their phone, relieved to see that they had service, and put on some music before getting to work. They did their best to clean the place as thoroughly as they could, thanking Yoba that they’d thought ahead to actually stock up cleaning supplies for the move. They tried to make quick work of the process, knowing that emptying the truck had to be the priority so they could return it later that day. 

They had left the city early in the morning, but by the time they had unloaded the truck, driven it back to the rental center, and arrived back to Pelican town via bus, it was past 8 pm. Finally taking a moment to breathe, Ash realized they hadn't eaten throughout the day. In no mood to even attempt cooking or sorting through boxes to find something to eat, Ash switched into a fresh change of clothes and headed down the dirt road leading into town. 

The glow of the lamp outside the saloon drew them in like a moth. They entered and glanced around, taking in the surroundings and feeling relieved they had decided to change clothes before making the trek into town. Ash went up to the bar, and immediately was greeted by an excited, blue haired young woman. Emily, they learned was the girl's name, began introducing Ash to some of the others in the bar. The names passed by in a blur; Pam, Leah, Clint, Willy, and of course, Gus, the owner of the saloon. After the whirlwind of introductions, Emily went about getting Ash the pizza they ordered. While waiting, Ash noticed a man standing at the end of the bar, next to the fireplace. Emily must have forgotten to introduce him, Ash thought to themself as they approached the man. 

“Um..hi” Ash said, putting on a smile that dissipated as soon as he looked up. They shifted on the balls of their feet, shoving their hands in their hoodie pockets and tensing their shoulders. Ash could feel the cold look he was giving them.

“I don’t know you.” The man finally stated, “Why are you talking to me?” His delivery of the question felt like one he didn’t care to hear the answer to.

“Oh… Well I just moved to town. Lewis said I should meet everyone so, y’know i thought I’d just introduce myself.” They forced another smile, yanking a hand out of their hoodie pocket and extending it toward him “I’m Ash, by the way.” 

Shane eyed their hand, choosing to ignore it as he downed the rest of his drink. "Great, you done?" he said flatly. Before Ash could say anything else, he stood and shoved past them, leaving them stunned as he booked it out the door. 

"Don't take it personally." said a voice behind Ash, making them jump. Cass turned to find a young woman with long, pastel purple hair. Ash hadn't even noticed the small back room, or the trio inside. "I'm Abigail," she said with a smile before gesturing behind her "and that's Sam and Sebastian. The asshat who just left was Shane, Marie's nephew. He's not the most… Sociable." 

Ash introduced themself to the trio, making polite conversation until their pizza was ready. By that point, Ash decided it would be a better idea to take it to go, and made the trek back to the farm alone.


	2. Chickens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash attends their first town festival since moving to Pelican Town, and has one thing on their mind: Chickens!
> 
> That is, until Marnie refers them to the true expert in town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah okay I'm bad at chapter titles so we're just going with Chickens folks

The next few weeks went by in a blur for Ash. Most of their days had been spent clearing out the land beside the farm house to make room for a small patch of crops. They started some seeds from Pierre’s shop their first week, but they’d finally sprouted enough that they felt (or at least hoped) they’d do well outside. Between tending to the new crops, continuing the seemingly never ending process of unpacking, and foraging what they could to make a bit of cash flow until crops were ready, they hadn’t had much time to socialize. On top of all that, Marnie, the rancher who lived just south of their farm, had stopped by after finding a dog wandering near where their property lines met. Unable to resist, and having wanted a dog for years but lived only in apartments that had strict no pet policies, Ash decided to adopt the dog. She was a small terrier, not much of a guard dog, but she made herself right at home on Ash’s bed. What was one more responsibility to throw into the mix, they joked to themself. 

So, when Lewis had reminded Ash of the upcoming Egg Festival, they decided it might be a good chance to refamiliarize themself with the other residents. Plus, maybe they'd get a chance to chat with Marnie about starting to raise some hens of their own eventually. 

As Ash made their way into the town square, they immediately felt overwhelmed. Though it was a pretty small town, having all the residents in one spot at once almost felt like they were back in the city. They looked around, desperately trying to remember which names went with which faces when a voice startled them.

“Ash!” They turned and saw a petite young woman with vibrant blue hair waving excitedly. Ash flashed a hesitant smile and walked over towards the girl. 

“Hey.. uh… Emily right?” They stumbled, remembering her to be the bartender at the saloon. Emily nodded and smiled.

“Oh wow, I absolutely love your necklace!” Emily said, Ash smiled and tugged at the small amethyst stone that rested over their loose fitting black sweater. It was normally unsettling to Ash when people were this excessively nice, almost like you could feel the fakeness when someone gushed so relentlessly. There was something about Emily though where Ash could sense she was being genuine, perhaps just a bit overzealous. The two chatted for a bit, Emily proudly showing off some of the eggs she’d decorated. Eventually, Emily explained she’d offered to help Lewis with hiding the eggs for the egg hunt, offering for Ash to join her. Ash declined, seeing Marnie alone and deciding to go talk to the rancher. Emily nodded, promising to catch up with Ash later and went off to find Lewis. 

Ash approached Marnie apprehensively, but the woman’s kind attitude immediately dissolved any anxieties they had about striking up a conversation.  
“Oh, I’d be happy to get some chicks for you once you’ve got a coop set up!” Marnie excitedly told them. “Frankly, I’ve got more than I know what to do with at the moment. If it weren’t for my nephew, I’m not sure I’d be able to keep up with them all.” Ash tried to hide the surprise on their face upon hearing this, but Marnie caught the flash of disbelief and let out a small sigh. "I take you've met him then?"   
Ash nodded awkwardly "Um, yeah. Briefly." 

Marnie glanced across the square, her eyes falling on her nephew who stood away from the crowd a bit, near the path leading to the old community center. "He's got a good heart," she sighed, turning back to Ash "Just.. Not the best at letting others see it. The poor boy's been through so much and…" she trailed off. Ash was unsure if Marnie had planned to continue, but they were interrupted as a young girl in a purple dress ran up to Marnie in tears. As it turns out, her friend Vincent had thrown an egg at her and gotten her dress dirty. “I’m so sorry, dear, but I’d better run her home and get her changed.” Marnie flashed them an apologetic smile, taking the small child by the hand and turning to leave. “I’m sure my nephew wouldn’t mind answering the rest of your questions about the chickens.” She added.

As Marnie disappeared down the path leading into CinderSap Forest, Ash glanced back to where Shane had been standing before. They notified a faint flash of Joja Blue disappearing behind the treeline of the path leading to the old community center. They hesitated momentarily, wondering if they ought to just wait for another opportunity to talk to Marnie, but how would that conversation go? “Sorry, your nephew is a dick so I didn’t want to talk to him.” Eventually they began weaving their way through the crowd and up the path behind Pierre’s. They spotted Shane sitting on the small stone bench to the side of the abandoned building.   
The whole festival had been a stressful ordeal for Shane. He hadn’t slept well the night before, and Jas had woken him up early that morning, excited for the egg hunt. They arrived at the festival early, Marnie insisting that Lewis needed help setting up. How that became his responsibility, Shane had no idea. Surprisingly though, the process was relatively painless, Lewis hadn’t seemed to pay much attention to Shane since he and Jas had arrived in Pelican Town a few months earlier. But soon, the town square started to fill up with residents, and the anxiety began to set it. He tried his best to stay out of the way, and everyone acted for the most part like he wasn’t even there, with the exception of Pam who had let him know she put “something nice,” into the punch and handed him a cup nearly full of it. He nodded in thanks, and took a sip. Whatever she’d put in, it had been quite a bit of it.   
He watched Jas and Vincent running around together. He was glad there was another kid her age in town. When he’d made the decision to move into Marnie’s he was worried Jas wouldn’t have the chance to make any friends, especially being as shy as she was around new people. Vincent was a bit more energetic than Jas though, making it unsurprising that when the two of them were tossing an egg back and forth, he put a little too much force into it and ended up hitting her. From across the square, Shane could see the tears forming in Jas’s eyes as she looked at the egg splattered across her dress. He’d need to take her back to the ranch and get her a change of clothes. He was ready to make his way across the square to her, when she turned and ran the opposite direction. She turned and ran to Marnie. Marnie, who was talking to that new farmer, both of whom were looking right at him.   
Before he could collect his thoughts he turned and started walking, he needed to get away from that square. Now.   
He’d made it to what probably once was a small patio next to the old community center, and sat down on a bench that had surprisingly held up over the years. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself, and then downed the rest of the punch Pam had given him. For a moment, he felt a little better. That is, until he saw the new farmer walking in his direction. 

“Hey Shane,” they began

“Why are you bothering me?” He spat, clenching the now empty cup in his hand and mumbling “I want to be alone.” 

“Right, I hear town festivals are great for that.” They replied sarcastically, earning the slightest chuckle from Shane, followed quickly by an eyeroll. Ash took this as enough of an invitation to continue the conversation. “Your aunt said I should talk to you, I’m thinking about getting some chickens from her eventually and well… she said you might have some advice?” There was a long pause before Shane finally spoke. 

“What about ‘em?” He said, his eyes fixed on the ground as he spoke. 

“Well, I mean I’m nowhere near ready to take any on yet, I’ve just barely started getting some crops to sprout and it’s going to be pretty pricey to have Robin fix up the old coop. It’s in pretty bad shape after sitting there unused for so long.” They explained, “so I guess, really just any tips? Or anything I should think about while I’m getting the space ready and cleaned up?” They felt silly asking such a broad question.

“Make sure you’ve got a decent amount of space.” He said after another long pause. “They might be small, but they’re happier when they can roam around during the day. But obviously keep them inside the coop if it's gonna rain or in winter. And Marnie has some heaters for sale too. They’re not cheap but you can’t just let ‘em sit out in the cold during the winter.” Shane went on for a while longer, surprising Ash with how willing he was to answer their questions as they came up.

They weren’t sure how long they had talked for, but the conversation halted when they heard a voice nearby. 

"There you are!" The two jumped as they turned to see an exasperated Emily walking toward them. "I've been looking for you everywhere, they're going to start the egg hunt soon!" Emily glanced at Ash, then at Shane, pausing before she turned back to Ash with a smile. "come meet me back in the square soon, kay?" she said, turning on her heel and walking away. 

“I should.. Probably go catch up with her.” They said, hesitating before adding “I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you wanted to join us?” 

They noticed Shane tense up a bit, “I’m good here,” was all he said.

"Right, yeah. Okay. Well.. Thanks for answering all my questions." Ash started walking back toward the square, and when they glanced back at Shane, he had already disappeared somewhere else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, wow okay I have read so many of these where authors apologize for taking so long to post a new chapter but now I really understand. 
> 
> I don't get on my laptop too often and just kept forgetting to log in and post this, but thanks for sticking through it :)


	3. Absolutely No Idea What I'm Doing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash hopes that a friendship with Shane is possible after the Egg Festival, but is quickly assured otherwise. 
> 
> Will a phone call from home and a few drinks change both their attitudes?
> 
> (Shane's 2 heart event)

In the days following the egg festival, Shane noticed the farmer more often. They’d cross paths in the mornings near Pierre’s, and Ash would wave hi to him, a gesture he’d almost always pretend he didn’t see. 

Then Ash started appearing at the saloon more often. The two of them never said anything to one another, the farmer sitting at the bar and chatting with Emily, while Shane remained at his usual post off by the fireplace. Every so often though, he’d catch the farmer looking in his direction. Whenever that happened, he almost regretted having been so talkative at the festival. Everyone else in town seemed perfectly happy ignoring him, and he was more than content with that. He didn’t want any new friends, didn’t need any new friends. 

One night he’d caught Ash looking in his direction before leaning across the bar and whispering something to Emily. The blue haired woman giggled, and glanced over at Shane quickly before returning to her work. Great. So the two of them were talking about him, just what he wanted. What were they saying? Were they talking about the conversation the day of the Egg Festival? He hadn’t said anything notable, he just answered the farmer’s questions about chickens, most of which could have been found through a quick Google search, he thought to himself. 

He’d been so preoccupied replaying their last conversation in his head, thinking through anything he might have said that would have indicated he wanted to be friends, that he didn’t even notice the farmer approaching him. 

“Hey Shane,” Ash said as Shane’s eyes darted up. 

“I don’t want to be your friend.” He blurted out before his brain could fully comprehend the words. Ash stared at him for a minute before speaking, then let out an annoyed sigh.

“Okay, cool. Message received dude.” They replied coldly, their face fell as they held a small, sealed envelope toward Shane. He blinked at them in confusion and took the envelope into his hands. “Here. Just wanted to say thanks for the other day, and I saw on the bulletin board that it’s your birthday. I’ll leave you alone now.” They said turning on their heel to leave. Shane stared at Ash as they drew towards the saloon door. His legs started moving before his thoughts did, and he reached a hand out to grab their arm.

“Wait,” Shane called out, and Ash stopped, looking back at him expectantly. His face softened as he spoke “You...remembered my birthday?” He looked genuinely surprised, clutching the small envelope in the hand that wasn’t on Ash’s arm. “I...thanks.” He spoke quietly, seeming to be at a loss for words. No one ever checked the town bulletin board, it was just something Lewis put together in hopes of building community. Hell, even Marnie had forgotten his birthday. 

“I’d say that’s what friends are for, but guess not.” Their words sliced through Shane more than he’d anticipated, and before he could say anything they tugged their arm free of his grasp and had disappeared out the saloon door. 

He looked down at the envelope in his hand, his name scrawled across the front, and he carefully tore it open.

Inside was a small drawing of a chicken, with the words “have an eggscellent birthday!” written. On the back, in smaller writing it said “sorry for the bad pun. thanks again for the chicken help. -Ash” 

A moment later, Emily appeared holding a plate of pepper poppers out to him

“I didn’t order these,” he said, staring back at her in confusion.

“They were from Ash.” Emily said flatly and returned to the bar. 

Yeah. He felt like a dick. 

\---

Shane didn’t see the farmer again for almost a week. 

He’d been leaving the saloon earlier than usual lately, afraid Emily might say something to him if he stayed too long. So, he’d been finding himself sitting at the end of a dock on the lake near Marnie’s ranch most nights. It was quieter than the saloon, something he’d felt like he needed lately. Less chances of anyone trying to strike up a conversation. Less chance of him being a dick to anyone. 

He was sipping a beer, looking out across the lake , when he heard footsteps nearby. He jerked his head back, and saw them. 

\---

Ash had just finished wrapping things up for the day, and was ready for a shower and some dinner when their phone began to ring. They looked at the caller id on it, seeing “Mom” displayed across the screen, and contemplated letting it go to voicemail

“Hi mom,” they said 

“That’s it, ‘hi mom’?” she parroted. “You disappear to your grandfather’s farm and don’t so much as call to let me know you haven’t died?” 

“Mom, I’m 24 years old.” Ash stated, “I’ve been living on my own for years, and I’m perfectly capable taking care of myself.”

“Oh please, we both know this whole thing is just you being dramatic Ashley.” they winced at the use of that name. “You can’t just quit your job and run off like this because you get mad at me.”

“I asked you not to call me that anymore.” They replied, taking a deep breath, “And this isn’t about you. I wasn’t happy working at Joja.”

“So what, you’re just going to be a farmer now? We could never even get you to help with yard work as a kid. You hate being outside.” Their mom snapped back 

“Yeah well, I’m figuring it out, okay?” 

“You should have done that before you quit your stable job, young lady.” It felt like she had emphasized those final two words, but Ash couldn’t be sure. “You can’t just run off and do whatever you want. Everyone hates their job, welcome to the real world, Ashley.”

They grit their teeth, holding back tears at this point. “Alright. Well, I’m clearly not dead. So if that’s all you called for, I gotta go.” They didn’t wait for a response before hanging up and tossing their phone on the bed. 

They walked back to the kitchen, pouring themself a generously sized glass of wine and downing it before heading to take a shower. They had hoped the shower would help, rinsing off the day, and the conversation with their mom, but as they looked in the mirror while drying off, all they could feel was the overwhelming sense of hatred for their own body. There were parts that they liked, their short undercut was one example. Their hair had always been the one part of their body they had the most control over, and after years of experimenting with colors they’d settled on a pale ashen color that made them feel like themself. 

But when their eyes fell on their chest they sighed. Being on the farm, they’d taken quite a bit of a break from binding, most of their days spent doing a decent amount of rigorous activity. Tonight though, tonight they were free to be themself. They struggled a bit, pulling the tight, black fabric over their head until it compressed their chest in the most euphoric way. They smiled turning to the side a bit before tugging on a black t-shirt and some loose fitted jeans. 

They spent the next few hours consciously ignoring the buzzing coming from their phone and trying to forget the conversation with their mom. Unable to do so, they decided to go for a walk to clear their head. They grabbed their phone, clearing the notifications before looking at a single one. They considered texting Emily, but she’d still be at work and Ash was in no mood to go to the saloon after their last interaction with Shane. 

They couldn’t figure out what his deal was. One minute he’s telling them to fuck off, the next he’s enthusiastically going on about chicken care, and then telling them to get lost again. And then...then that look he had on his face at the saloon the other night. 

His usually cold, brown eyes had looked at her with genuine gratitude, and softened to more of a hazel color in the warm glow of the saloon. The corners of his mouth, usually fixed into a permanent frown, had tugged at a surprised smile. Even his expression when he had fumbled over his words, his lips had been parted like they were desperately trying to let out thoughts that couldn’t be found. 

And then they remembered the way he shrunk back a bit at their own words. His face hadn’t returned to it’s usually sullen expression, but one of hurt. Maybe they had been to harsh in their response, but then again, Shane had been the one to start off the interaction on such a rude note. 

“Up late, huh?” came a gruff voice from nearby. Ash jumped, being pulled from their thoughts and blinking towards a dim lantern glowing at the end of a nearby dock. In the faint light that fought against the dark of the evening forest sky, they recognized the familiar frame. 

“Shane? What are you doing out here?”

“Could ask you the same thing.” Was all he offered in response, holding an unopened beer out to them and gesturing for Ash to join him on the dock. 

They cautiously walked down the dock as it creaked under them, and took a seat beside Shane, accepting the beer and cracking it open.

“Couldn’t sleep and just...felt like I needed some air.” They said

“Right, yeah. Air. Hard to come by on that farm of yours?” Shane joked with a soft chuckle. He glanced over at Ash, who looked down at the beer can in their hands. “Listen I… I’m sorry about the other night. And...well…” Shane fidgeted where he sat “I’m sorry if I was a dick to you when we first met. I’m just...I’m not great with new people,” he admitted. 

“What, you? I never would have guessed.” Ash teased and glanced over at him. His cheeks were flushed, whether from the warmth of the approaching summer, or the pile of empty beer cans beside him, Ash wasn’t sure. He frowned a bit at their comment and looked down, staring into the lake below at a log submerged in the murky water. “It’s alright, Shane.” 

“You ever feel like no matter what you do, you’re gonna fail?” Shane said after a few moments of silence. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath before returning his attention to the log under the lake’s surface “...like you’re just stuck in this miserable abyss and you’re so deep, you can’t even see the light of day? Every day is just the same, especially here. Nothing ever changes here.”

“Shane, I…” they started, but he shook his head, dismissing their unfinished thought and letting out a sigh.

“I just feel like no matter how hard I try.. I’m not strong enough to climb out of that hole, you know?” He finally met Ash’s gaze, and they looked away, tilting both their head and their beer can back and finishing off the drink.

“Fast drinker huh? Girl after my own heart.." Ash flinched at the word choice, but Shane didn't seem to notice. "Just don’t make it a habit, you got a future ahead of you still.” 

Ash let out a harsh laugh, fidgeting with the tab on the now empty beer can. Shane glanced over at them and gave a confused look. 

“I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, Shane.” They admitted, continuing to wriggle the metal tab. “I was just...so sick of it all. Every day was the same. Same shitty job, same shitty people, same shitty bus ride to and from work, same shitty apartment I came back to every night. It was awful.” The tab on their beer can finally snapped off, and they clenched the small mass of metal in their hand, setting the can down beside them. “I didn’t have anything keeping me there. I had people that I talked to, not really friends but...people that I hung out with, you know?” Ash pulled their knees toward their chest, staring out into the water as they spoke. “And then some...stuff happened. And I just… I didn’t have anyone. I don’t even really remember it much, but I was cleaning my apartment one night, just trying to get my shit together, you know? And I find this envelope. Still sealed. With my name on it, and my grandpa’s writing. I swear to Yoba I thought I was dreaming. I don’t know how it had gotten lost in all my stuff, it was just in the bottom of some box from my parents’ place and it says that he’s leaving me the farm. So, I do what any rational, probably intoxicated, adult would do. I sent my boss a *very* professional email, kindly informing him that I would not be returning to work.” 

Shane stifled a laugh, and Ash’s eyes darted toward him, a smile tugging at their lips. “Anyway… I pack up the stuff that I know I can move on my own. Sell or donate the rest, hop in a U-Haul, and not even a week later here I am. Stardew Valley’s newest farmer who has killed every houseplant they’ve bought in the past 5 years.”

This time, Shane was the one to chug the rest of his beer, and the two of them sat like that for a while, silently watching the calm waters before them.

“You got out though.” Shane finally said. Ash glanced over at him, surprised to find him looking back. “Do you know how many times I’ve dreamed of that? Being able to just...do something to actually take control of my life? I just… never can.” He trailed off and looked down.

Ash gently placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to think of the right words to say, when suddenly Shane had turned back and his lips were on theirs. They blinked in surprise before leaning into the kiss. Ash could taste the beer on his breath, and moved their hand from his shoulder to wrap around a mass of his dark hair.

“I-I’m so sorry,” Shane sputtered, abruptly pulling away “I’m sorry I got carried away, oh fuck…” 

“Shane, hey it’s okay-” They started

“No...no I should go” He muttered, standing up quickly and nearly falling off the dock in his haste. Before Ash could say anything else, he was already down the dock and off toward Marnie’s ranch. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading:) 
> 
> This is my first time ever actually posting a fic, and hoping to update this soon!  
> I'm honestly just projecting a ton on my OC with dealing with a lot of gender stuff, but I love my chicken boy so hopefully others enjoy this too! Not too much Shane x Nonbinary character stuff on here. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading!


End file.
